NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: 5 Pretenders and 5 Contenders Retooled

About three weeks ago, I wrote an article about five pretenders and five contenders. That, of course, was before the NHL Trade Deadline.

Teams have changed. Nashville went from middle of the pack to a Stanley Cup dark horse. Vancouver solidified themselves as the favorite for the Western Conference championship. Tampa added three defensemen to try to make a push.

There are also teams that traded impact players for picks and prospects. Buffalo traded away Paul Gaustad, and Minnesota parted ways with Marek Zidlicky. 

I am retooling my past pretenders and contenders to see which teams have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs and which are going to fade into the distance come April.

(This is Part II of a three-part series. Part I: Teams making the playoffs. Part II: Teams making the playoffs after the trade deadline. Part III: Teams that have a shot at the Cup once playoffs have started.) 

Pretender: Minnesota Wild

There was hope for this Wild team. They were young, Devin Setoguchi was heating up and Mikko Koivu was coming back from injury.

Now the Wild have come back to reality and will not make the playoffs.

Setoguchi has continued to underperform for the Wild. He has just 26 points this season and is on pace to have his lowest point total since his rookie year.

Heatley has been playing well for the Wild, but his biggest supporting star, Koivu, has been injured. He separated his shoulder on January 14th against St. Louis and returned only for four games before aggravating it again. 

Backstrom has not been particularly good in his last few games. Out of his last 10 started games, he has only won three.

The Wild had the ability to move impending UFA Josh Harding and get some more assists but decided against it. Harding has had a good season, with a .919 save percentage and a 2.59 GAA. His numbers are worse than Backstrom's, but the potential of a starting job should have moved him.

The Wild moved Marek Zidlicky to New Jersey for Nick Palmieri and Stephane Veilleux, defenseman Kurtis Foster, a second-round pick in 2013 and a conditional third-round pick in 2013.

This was purely for rebuilding the future. Getting rid of Zidlicky and then Nick Schultz at the deadline proved that the Wild weren't going for a playoff push this season but have designs on a push in the immediate future.

The Wild made moves to be good in a couple years. This year, though, they will be done come April.

Contender: Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles made arguably the biggest move that didn't happen on Deadline Day. The Kings traded Jack Johnson to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jeff Carter. 

Jeff Carter is instantly going to make an impact on the NHL's worst offense. Carter, even with the irrelevant supporting cast in Columbus (besides Rick Nash), put up 25 points. When he was with Philadelphia Flyer and now Los Angeles King Mike Richards, he scored 61 points, which was a downgrade from his 84-point campaign the season before.

Carter could have easily put up similar numbers this year had he played for the Kings all season. Carter is the best way to jump start the stagnant offense. 

The Kings were believed to be willing to trade backup Jonathan Bernier for more assets, but they decided to hold onto him. I believe this was a smart move. Having a backup goalie that has 2.29 GAA and a .911 behind a starter (Jonathan Quick) who has a 1.92 GAA and .932 will always be a smart move.

On any given day, one of these goaltenders could shutout any team. These goalies will keep the Kings in any game, so the 30th-ranked offense in the league is not as bad as it seems. If Carter does indeed bolster the offense, then the Kings will be rolling even more.

The Kings have the potential to become the seventh seed in the playoffs. If they get hot at the right time, they could surprise a few teams and make a deep run into May and even June.  

Pretender: Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals had so much potential coming into the season. Now it seems that the team doesn't just disappoint in the postseason; they're doing it in the regular season.

The Capitals are supposed to be led by Alex Ovechkin. This season, Ovechkin just took over as the top scoring player on the Capitals. The position was formerly held by Nicklas Backstrom, who was just put on long-term injured reserve and hasn't touched the ice since January 3rd.

Even with the extra $6.7 million at the deadline, the Capitals did nothing to help the lineup. This is ultimately why the team is going to miss the playoffs. Ovechkin hasn't played like the "Great 8" he has been in previous seasons and is not making up for the loss of Backstrom.

Tomas Vokoun has had a very streaky season. Overall, he has a 2.52 GAA and .917 save percentage. For a playoff-contending goaltender, those numbers need to be lower. They aren't terrible, but they are not the kind of numbers that are going to lead a team deep into the playoffs. 

The Capitals are a team that are held to a higher standard. The former President's Trophy winners were projected to win the Cup in the past few seasons. This was potentially the last shot, and they are not even going to make the playoffs. 

Contender: Phoenix Coyotes

About three weeks ago, I thought the Coyotes were left for dead. After a big trade, the surging Coyotes are currently leading the Pacific Division and look to hold onto the spot.

The Coyotes landed pretty big name from Columbus, receiving Antoine Vermette for picks and a minor league goaltender. Through three games, he has yet to post a point, but if the Coyotes are in first without him, they should have absolutely no problem when he starts to produce.

Pair that with Shane Doan, Ray Whitney and Radim Vrbata, and the 'Yotes will have no problem putting pucks into the net come postseason.

What could be the downfall of the team is goaltender Mike Smith. This season has been Smith's first as a legitimate No. 1 starter, and that could potentially hurt the team when April comes. Smith has posted a 2.24 GAA and .927 save percentage, which are the numbers that a playoff-caliber goaltender should be putting up.

Inexperience may come to hurt the Coyotes in the playoffs, but, in the last few games, Smith should make them competitive.

Phoenix has a tough time getting people to come out and see the games. But, they are a playoff team, and they will power through it to have some fans in the seats come playoff time.  

Pretender: Dallas Stars

Dallas is currently tied for the eighth spot in the Western Conference and holds the tie breaker over Colorado. Unfortunately, I don't see Dallas holding onto their spot. 

Dallas took a big hit losing Brad Richards in the offseason. However, Loui Eriksson and Jamie Benn have carried the team with 55 and 49 points, respectively. Dallas held onto tough guy Steve Ott and set-up guy Mike Riberio. The Stars are going to have plenty of offense; the problem is going to lie with the defense.

At the deadline, the Stars dealt Nicklas Grossman to the Philadelphia. While Grossman wasn't the biggest offensive threat, he did play a big part on the team. Grossman led the Stars in blocked shots, and missing that will hurt the team down the road.

The Stars are not going to miss the playoffs by much, maybe one or two points. But they will not be part of the top eight in the conference come April.  

Contender: Ottawa Senators

Ottawa may be one of the most underrated teams that are currently in a playoff position. And they are not going to give that place up. 

The Senators are led by long-time captain Daniel Alfredsson. Alfredsson is currently 39 and on his last leg of his Hall of Fame NHL career. He, along with Jason Spezza, have taught the youth how to play hockey and are two of the top three point-getters on the team with 71 and 47 points, respectively.

The youngsters, Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek, are starting to take over the reigns with 66 and 45 points. The Sens are just one point out of the lead for the Northeast Division and could be there by the end of the season.

The Senators were dealt a pretty big blow right before the deadline. Starting goaltender Craig Anderson was going to be out indefinitely because of a cooking accident. He sliced his hand with a knife and was required to have surgery on the hand.

To combat his loss, the Senators traded for St. Louis Blues goaltender Ben Bishop. Bishop has only played 13 games in the NHL, but has posted a 2.26 GAA and .928 save percentage at the AHL level. He was also named first star at the AHL All-Star game this year.

Bishop should be playing in the NHL soon, and he will be more than capable of holding the starting job until Anderson gets back.

Some people believe the Sens will fall because of Anderson's absence. I believe the leadership will help the team battle through this, and the team will be in good position when the playoffs start.  

Pretender: Winnipeg Jets

For the inaugural season of the reborn Winnipeg Jets, overall it is a win. However, my stance has not changed. The Jets will be watching the playoffs from their couches. 

The biggest move that the Jets made was trading away Johnny Oduya to Chicago for a second and third-round draft pick. While it's not a huge blockbuster move, it will affect the team for the rest of the year. They lost one of their better offensive defensemen, and, with their current goaltending situation, they could use all the goals they can get.

The picks they received for Oduya will help them become a playoff team in the coming years, but, for this year, it just isn't going to happen.

As mentioned earlier, the goaltending situation for the Jets isn't ideal. Chris Mason is the current backup and is posting a 2.26 GAA and .909 save percentage through 17 games. His numbers are still where he can be the backup goaltender if starter Ondrej Pavelec cannot man the net for whatever reason.

Pavelec's numbers aren't as pleasing. He has a .909 save percentage (relatively good) but an extremely high 2.82 GAA. Numbers like those are not going to keep your team in the game, especially against the best in the league. 

Hockey back in Winnipeg has been fantastic. It'll take a couple more before playoff hockey gets to return to Winnipeg too. 

Contender: Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche have been struggling for the last couple years to get back into the playoffs. This year, they make it back. 

The Avalanche knew they had to make a deal by the deadline to help the team make a push down the stretch, and they acquired Jamie McGinn from the San Jose Sharks. McGinn has 24 points so far this season, but that wasn't the only trade.

The Avs also grabbed Steve Downie, who has 35 points and is a gritty player who can cause some problems on the ice, from the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Avalanche play in the wide open Northwest division. Having these offensive abilities to complement Ryan O'Reilly and Paul Stastny will help the Avalanche grab the final spot in the Western Conference. 

The goaltending situation is the cousin of the St. Louis Blues' system. Semyon Varlamov was supposed to be the starter, but he had a rough start, and Jean-Sebastian Giguere came in and played extremely well.

Now the two are splitting time, but Giguere is the starter because of his numbers. He has a .922 save percentage and a 2.16 GAA, while Varlamov has a .906 save percentage and a 2.78 GAA. For the Avs to make the playoffs, Giguere either needs to get the majority of the playing time or Varlamov needs to lower his numbers.

The Avs are skating on very thin ice. However, I think the Avalanche can keep it together down the stretch and sneak into the playoffs.  

Pretender: Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are caught between a rock and a hard place. They could have traded prospects to make a playoff push or traded the big names and start to rebuild. They decided to do neither, and it will cost them the playoffs.

The Flames can be summed up in two names: Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen. These two players are the leading scorers on the team and are the reason they are so close to making the playoffs. They are four points out because of these two players and their leadership on the team.

But, besides Alex Tanguay, no one is there to pick up the slack when one of these players have an off night. Those off nights are what are going to cost the Flames down the line. Because these two don't have the support they need, they won't make the final push in what could be one of their last chances to make the playoffs if they aren't dealt. 

The Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff is 35 and is playing like a 28 year old. He has a .921 save percentage and a 2.36 GAA, which are actually the numbers of a playoff goaltender. Those numbers are the best numbers he's posted since the 2005-2006 year, which is the year he took home the Vezina trophy.

The problem is his backup.  

Backup Leland Irving has a .915 save percentage and 3.26 GAA, meaning Kiprusoff will have to start nearly all of the remaining games. And, at age 35, I just don't see him holding up down the stretch.

The Flames were stuck in the middle and are going to pay. The best move would have been to rebuild, but instead they decided to keep the face of the franchise. Because of this, they will miss the chance to win the Cup for a few years to come. 

Contender: New Jersey Devils

The goal coming into the trade deadline was to hold onto Zach Parise. The Devils did, and because of that they will stay in playoff contention and make it into April.

As an added bonus, the Devils acquired Marek Zidlicky from the Minnesota Wild. Zidlicky instantly makes the Devil blue line not only more of a scoring threat but also more physical. The added offense on the blue line will only help leading goal scorer Ilya Kovalchuck, but also the Devils will be able to put the puck in the net against any goaltender.

The Devils have legend Martin Brodeur manning the net. His numbers are not the best of his career (.902 save percentage and 2.53 GAA), but his backup Johan Hedberg has nearly identical numbers (.908 save percentage and 2.53 GAA).

Brodeur has been the mentor Hedberg needs, and this could be Brodeur's last chance to make a run for the Cup. He will do whatever it takes to etch his name on the Stanley Cup one last time. 

The Devils have been working to get into this spot for the past few years. The Devils will finally start to rebuild the dynasty they had in the early 2000s.